Craig Wright has ended his 19-year association with Cricket Scotland by aiming a shot across the bows of the governing body that has left the game in danger of being marginalised.
When Wright began his Scotland playing career in 1997 and his administrative service a year later, the game was still languishing in its amateur hinterland.
Over the next decade the game grew beyond recognition, with Wright at the heart of everything as national team captain, marketing manager and performance development guru (he has latterly served Cricket Scotland as a senior coach, taking charge of youth teams and assisting Grant Bradburn with the national side).
Craig Wright celebrates a wicket as Scotland take on Pakistan at the World Twenty20 in Durban in 2007
One of the secrets to Scotland's progress in that decade was the funding that originated from the International Cricket Council, which gradually allowed CS to cultivate a full-time national team structure. Unfortunately, this progress coincided with the ICC's insistence on compressing the World Cup into a 10-team format.
With Scotland having failed to win a match at any of their three World Cup appearances, in 1999, 2007 and 2015, it has become near-impossible to attract the big nations to play internationals here and this has had a major impact on Scotland's ability to fertilise those early green shoots.
It's been a blast! https://t.co/J8XAsg6NK0
— Craig Wright (@craigwright99) February 2, 2016
While Ireland are preparing to play South Africa, Australia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan in one-day internationals in 2016, Scotland have the World Twenty20 finals in India and very little else to whet the appetite.
Wright has latterly become a coach in the Scotland national set-up
Today the 41-year-old announced that he will leave Cricket Scotland after that tournament in April, and in his parting words Wright did not spare the ICC as he expressed a hope that cricket would become "more meritocratic" in future to give it more chance of growing beyond its traditional strongholds.
“After much thought and consideration I have decided to leave my position with CS following the WT20 Event in India. I feel it is the right time for me to take on some new challenges and explore other interests," said Wright.
"Despite being a football loving boy from the West of Scotland, Scottish Cricket has been my passion since the first time I got the opportunity to play the sport as a 13-year-old, and has been a massive part of my life since then.
Wright with Indian megastar Rahul Dravid, who played for the Scottish Saltires in 2003
"I have been incredibly fortunate to have had some wonderful experiences in the sport as a player and coach during a time where cricket at Associate level developed beyond recognition.
I am extremely grateful for the opportunities I have been afforded to be a small part of Scotland’s role in that, and I thank everyone who has helped and supported me during that time.
"I truly hope the future growth of the sport and Scotland’s chances of continuing to progress, are supported by us being given the appropriate opportunities to compete on the world stage.
Wright poses with the World Cup on an Edinburgh tram in advance of Scotland's 2015 campaign
"I believe we have a team which is capable, given the right opportunities of playing a significant part in a bigger, healthier, more meritocratic global game in the future.
"A sport which provides a pathway for talented young Scottish players to represent their country at the pinnacle of the sport if they are good enough to do so.
"The forthcoming WT20 tournament gives us another opportunity to prove that we deserve to be on the global stage and I am confident we can do that. I have thoroughly enjoyed the last two years working with the current squad and staff, and a strong showing in India would be a great way to sign off.”
As much as it was hard to ever imagine cricket becoming a truly pervasive part of the sporting landscape in Scotland, it is hard to imagine Scottish cricket without Wright, a point reflected by CS performance director Andy Tennant.
“It is hard to put into words the size of the contribution Craig has made to the development of the game in this country – and especially as it was in so many different roles," said Tennant.
"His record as a player and captain speaks for itself. But more importantly for me is his incredible work ethic, drive and determination. His outstanding skill as a coach, who was so passionate about developing young Scottish players, will be his greatest legacy.
"I hope that one day we will see Craig back in the fold fighting hard, as he always did, to make Scotland successful.”
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